Aristo Sham

Twelve-year-old Aristo Sham was born in Hong Kong and started playing piano when he was three years old. He is now a primary six student of Diocesan Boys’ School Primary Division. He joined the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts as a junior piano student in 2002 and he is now under the tutelage of Professor Eleanor Wong.

In summer 2006, Aristo was awarded the first Prize of Category A (under age 15) of the 10th Ettlingen International Piano Competition for Young Pianist in Germany. He was also awarded the Barenreiter Urtext Prize Special Prize. As this competition is one of the most important international piano competitions for young pianists, it marked an important milestone in Aristo’s musical development.

Besides, Aristo has won a number of international prizes. He was the Grand Champion of the "Hong Kong Young Musician of the Year 2006". He also won the Gold Prize in the 6th Chopin International Competition in Asia which was held in Japan and the First Prize in Group A of the 69th Steinway International Children & Youth Piano Competition (China Regional finals) in Beijing.

Aristo has performed as the soloist with Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra in 2004. He also joined the Shanghai and Hangzhou concert tour with the Junior Chamber Orchestra of the Academy for Performing Arts as soloist in 2005. He held his first recital in Hong Kong in 2006 and recitals in Guangzhou in April 2007.

Besides playing piano, Aristo likes to compose. He is now studying Composition and Computer Music Technology with Mr. Maurice Poon in the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. With his own composition 3X, he was awarded the first prize in the category of Original Composition for Western Insturments of the 58th Hong Kong Schools Music Festival and at the same time, he was awarded the CASH award and Doming Lam Scholarship. The piece had been performed in his recitals and broadcasted at RTHK Radio 4.

Aristo was also awarded the Hong Kong Music Scholarship, Tom Lee Music Scholarship and Society of APA Junior Music Scholarship. He was presented the Certificate of Commendation by the Secretary for Home Affairs of Hong Kong for his outstanding achievements in international arts and cultural activities. This year, the honour of "Young Artist Award 2007" was bestowed on Aristo which was presented by the RTHK and the Hong Kong Playground Association. He was featured in the Hall of Fame Project 2007 of the Hong Kong Education and Manpower Bureau. It is a showcase of Hong Kong students' outstanding achievements. In 2008 Aristo Sham won the First Prize the Gina Bachahuer Junior Competition.

In 2005 Aristo auditioned in Hong Kong for Giselle Brodsky and she has been following his development as an artists with great interest. We are happy to feature him this season in our "Prodigies and Masters of Tomorrow" Program.